New center brings hope to expecting parents

Colquitt county's Hope House Pregnancy Center is set to open a new center.

Amane Clausen

Hope House

Katrina Bivins

COLQUITT CO., GA (WALB) -

Teen pregnancies continue to be an issue in Colquitt County.

One non profit organization is working to help provide resources to those teen moms.

The Hope House in Moultrie assisted 330 clients last year.

And as their program grows in popularity, they're running out of space, but said that's a good problem to have.

Now, they need help furnishing a new center built to accommodate more clients.

"They're scared to death, they're scared to death," said Hope House Executive Director Katrina Bivins. "The mothers that come in, they think they have no hope, they think that their lives are over."

That's where Hope House comes in.

It's a place that provides support and options for women in crisis pregnancies.

"When I found out about this place, it was like heaven on earth," Amane Clausen.

Clausen found out she was pregnant with Erielle when she was 21.

Nervous and unprepared, she turned to Hope House Pregnancy Care Center, after hearing about it from a friend.

"When they come into an environment that is supportive and tells them, 'We will walk alongside of you, and we will be your support,' hope is birthed in their hearts," said Bivins.

The center provides helpful parenting and prenatal classes, and as clients prove their involvement, they earn 'mommy money' and 'daddy dollars' to get items for their babies.

But as word spreads, the organization can no longer operate with one small classroom.

Thankfully, they built a new pregnancy care center next door

"It's to have more room, more space to be able to do the ministry and to be able to do it well," Bivins explained.

They're asking for the community's help to furnish the new space and recruit volunteers for a new kid watch area.

And as statistics show that children born from teen mothers have a higher rate of living in poverty and being teen mothers themselves, Bivins wants expecting parents to know their child will not be a statistic, but instead, a success.

WALB's First Alert Weather Team declared a First Alert Weather Day for Monday as severe weather headed to Southwest Georgia. As of 9:30 p.m., the risk of severe weather moved out of out of the area for the rest of Monday.

WALB's First Alert Weather Team declared a First Alert Weather Day for Monday as severe weather headed to Southwest Georgia. As of 9:30 p.m., the risk of severe weather moved out of out of the area for the rest of Monday.